What's your opinion on this statement about trucking?

Discussion in 'CRST' started by Nyteryda, Jul 12, 2012.

  1. Nyteryda

    Nyteryda Bobtail Member

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    Jun 19, 2011
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    I found this on craigslist. Leave your opinions about this statement

    "Companies seeking Drivers for company trucks will need to raise their pay scale to .50 cpm plus benefits. The statistics show that people seeking a CDL in the last 3 years have fallen more than 50% prior to 2008. The current US driver pool is shrinking rapidly and more and more CDL holders are leaving the trucking industry by the thousands each day. The highest percent of US CDL current drivers are 53 years old or older and are retiring or leaving the industry each day. The appeal to drive a truck is at it's lowest appeal on record. Newer US Government regulations, low pay, time spent away from home, food prices, CSA enforcement, and poor driving records are making it nearly impossible to hire and even retain drivers. The US unemployment level is at a sustainable record high and CDL required jobs are going unfilled with a pending driver shortage facing nearly 1 million by the end of 2012. The only way to attract new drivers into the trucking industry is to raise mileage rates commensurate to cost of living increases for the past 5 years. The average CDL Union Company driver pay was .43 cpm in 2002, and offering anything less than .50 cpm will not get it done in this economy."

    So what do you think about this?
     
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  3. RickG

    RickG Road Train Member

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    The only true statement is companies having trouble retaining drivers. There is a never ending supply of wannabes willing to work for less than $.30 a mile .
    It's just a bunch of nonsense
     
  4. theedle

    theedle Bobtail Member

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    Those wannabes will work at 30¢ / mile for about 4-6 months and then quit. There are mega-carriers running turnover rates well over 100% on this business model, but they are built for that. Most outfits aren't.

    I'm sure the numbers are often exaggerated, but anecdotal evidence seems to confirm what I hear about the demographic reality: a plurality of drivers are 50+ years of age and won't be around forever. The trickle of new blood into the industry is nowhere near enough to counteract the hemmorage of experienced drivers leaving to retirement or medical issues.

    I think there is a lot of bunk, hokum, hearsay and hoopla around this 'driver shortage' issue. Much of it is talk and exaggeration, but there is a core of truth to the notion that there is a demographic crisis brewing in this industry.
     
  5. RickG

    RickG Road Train Member

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    The over 50 drivers leaving aren't being replaced by just young drivers in their 20's . There are also many people in their 30's and 40's starting a career in trucking and Schneider is still recuiting older people from AARP.
     
  6. bigdad7

    bigdad7 Road Train Member

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    and lets not forget a possible 10 percent reduction in efficiancy with eobr's .....of course i doubt mega carriers are running anywhere near 70 percent of capacity ....
     
  7. jbatmick

    jbatmick Road Train Member

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    I have been hearing this theory for the past 30 years. The story is always the same. This, that , or the other is going to create a huge demand for truck drivers, and offer more money. Either when CDL's were first introduced, new log book rules, NAFTA,better economic conditions, older driver population retiring,tighter DOT physical requirements, etc., some new reason was always given for dramatically increased pay rates. Ain't happened yet, and past performance indicates future behavior.
    Don't count on the average driver's pay taking a big increase in the future, law of supply and demand. These schools can turn out steering wheel holders quicker than you can you can say " 10 dash 4 ".
     
  8. theedle

    theedle Bobtail Member

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    I think you're right on for the most part jbatmick. I think that big carriers will do everything they can to keep pay where it is now. I'm convinced this demographic shift will cause more shiny-but-unreachable sign on bonuses and other forms of illusory compensation luring than it will drive actual difference in real income.

    Turnover is still a problem though. The 'steering wheel holders' coming out of schools don't last all that long and many companies can't afford to churn through employees like that.
     
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